Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) is currently producing aluminium at an annualised rate of around 1.3 million tonnes, with the smelter operating at roughly 80 per cent of its pre-Iran war capacity, according to CEO Ali Al Baqali. Alba had a pre-war capacity of around 1.6 million tonnes per year, but production was disrupted after the outbreak of the war and restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz affected exports. The smelter was also hit by an Iranian attack in late March. The Bahrain-based producer is now operating Lines 4, 5 and 6, together representing annualised aluminium production of approximately 1.3 million tonnes, Al Baqali told Reuters on the sidelines of the Fastmarkets Aluminium Conference in Budapest on September 16. Al Baqali described the damage from the Iranian strike as minor...
For the past two decades, the US aluminium industry has been treading through a volatile path, with a domestic primary aluminium sector deteriorating at a rapid and alarming rate, and the number of operational smelters falling from around thirty to only four. Primary aluminum output was estimated at 660,000 metric tons in 2025, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. The situation was compounded by the Section 232 tariffs on aluminum products, further blocking the inbound trade. The rebuilding of domestic capacity, therefore, is not only about restarting or constructing smelters. It also depends on the infrastructure and technology needed to transform molten aluminum into usable products, maintain ageing electrolysis assets, process scrap efficiently, and improve metal quality....
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THDC India Limited has launched a tender for a 53.9 MWac (72.8 MWp) ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) project to be set up within the premises of the KPCL Thermal Plant (RTPS) in Karnataka. Image used for representational purpose The project, valued at an estimated INR 220.24 crore including GST, covers both construction and a three-year comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&M) period after the plant becomes fully operational. The tender is restricted to “Class-I local suppliers” and will follow a single-stage, two-envelope electronic bidding process, with technical and financial bids submitted separately online. Following bid submission, an electronic reverse auction will be held to determine the winning contractor. Bidding timelines and terms Tender documents: Available from...
Novelis, the US based aluminium producer, reported weaker earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended June 30, 2025, as higher scrap costs and tariff impacts offset volume gains. Net income attributable to common shareholders dropped 36 per cent to USD 96 million from USD 151 million a year earlier, largely due to restructuring charges and softer operating performance, partially cushioned by favourable metal price lag. Adjusted EBITDA fell 17 per cent year-on-year to USD 416 million from USD 500 million, while rolled product shipments edged up 1 PER CENT to 963 kilotonnes. Adjusted EBITDA per tonne in Q1 FY26 fell 18 per cent to USD 432 million. Excluding special items, net income was USD 116 million, down 43 per cent. The decline was driven by higher aluminium scrap...
Southern India is now emerging as a growth engine for the aluminium extrusion industry, with Telangana and Andhra Pradesh leading the way. These states are not merely increasing domestic capacity. They are also becoming players in global supply chains, fuelled by strong industrial activity, export opportunities and the increasing utilisation of lightweight materials across sectors, including EVs, renewable energy and infrastructure. Global Aluminium’s Managing Director, Anil Agarwal, underscored the shift at a recent ALUMEX India 2025 roadshow on August 7, 2025 in Hyderabad , “Among the southern states, Hyderabad is playing a very important role in this industry… To counter trade challenges like the Trump Tariff, the industry must boost domestic consumption, reduce dependency on imports,...
On Monday, August 11, the LME aluminium prices edged down by USD 23 per tonne or 0.88 per cent and USD 22.5 per tonne or 0.86 per cent. The prices on the same day closed at USD 2,585.50 per tonne for cash bid and USD 2,586.5 for official settlement. As per the London Metal Exchange (LME) price graph, 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price also descended by USD 19 per tonne or 0.72 per cent to peg at USD 2,591 per tonne and USD 2,591.5 per tonne. December 26 bid price and December 26 offer price lost USD 15 per tonne or 0.56 per cent to reach USD 2,643 per tonne and USD 2,648 per tonne. On the inventory side , both Opening stock and Live warrants clocked a different story. They both rose from 470,575 tonnes to 475,850 tonnes and from 456,350 tonnes to 461,625 tonnes. Except for the...
The global push for low-carbon or “green” aluminium is intensifying competition for available scrap. According to global market trends research, regional economies are ramping up remelting capacities and prioritising the retention of domestically generated scrap to meet internal demand. Source: TradeIndia China remains the world’s largest consumer of recycled aluminium , with usage reaching approximately 12.01 million tonnes in 2023. This figure is projected to rise and cross fourteen million tonnes by 2026 (f). However, it is anticipated to cross nineteen million tonnes by 2030 (f), followed by Western Europe, the rest of Asia (excluding China), and North America. In 2020, amongst the various applications of recycled aluminium, canstock was the only one to witness growth. Demand from...
Continuing their momentum from the 2024 collaboration, global packaging solution manufacturing firm CANPACK Group and Polish-based brewing firm Grupa Żywiec, part of the Heineken Group, have now made another imprint in the fabric of Polish festival culture with an actual, collectible representation for fans. Specifically for the 2025 Polish musical festival, Męskie Granie, eight beautiful can designs embodying the thrill of the tour through the cities of Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, and Żywiec have been launched. This year's designs, made possible by CANPACK's Quadromix printing, allow for four variations of each design – all in one run, maximising efficiency and enhancing creativity. The designs capture both the energy of life in Polish cities and imagery under the lens of visual artist...
The Trump administration’s aluminium tariffs starting at 25 per cent in March 2025 and doubling to 50 per cent by June have reshaped global aluminium trade, rattling supply chains and upending industry dynamics. Major players like Alcoa, Rio Tinto, Rusal, Chalco, and Hindalco Industries have absorbed staggering costs. Alcoa alone reported USD 115 million in tariff-related expenses in Q2 2025, while Rio Tinto faced losses exceeding USD 300 million in just six months, heavily impacted by Canadian exports destined for the US market. These tariffs have not only squeezed profit margins but also forced large firms to rethink their strategies. Many have rerouted shipments to Europe and Asia, invested in tariff-resilient segments such as aluminium for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, and deferred...
According to SMM data, in July 2025 (31 days), China's metallurgical-grade alumina production increased by 5.40 per cent M-o-M and 6.65 per cent Y-o-Y. As of the end of July, the existing metallurgical-grade alumina capacity in China was approximately 110.32 million tonnes, with the actual operating capacity increasing by 2.00 per cent M-o-M and an operating rate of 81.6 per cent. Bolstered by policy news such as "anti-rat race competition" and "capacity reduction" in the macro context, alumina futures strengthened. The most-traded contract reached a peak of RMB 3,577 per tonne within the month, opening the arbitrage window between futures and spot. Spot traders actively inquired and purchased, leading to a tightening of spot supply. Holders refused to budge on prices, and spot alumina...
No one in the global tech supply chain has a clear read on where US tariffs will finally land, but one truth is already cementing, that the deepest fault line will be between Washington and Beijing. The biggest casualties? Companies welded to China’s tightly integrated technology manufacturing ecosystem, with the US as their top shelf for sales. Image source: https://www.openpr.com/ Smartphones and PCs are in the blast zone Apple’s vast production web still runs heavily through China, making it one of the most exposed names in the game. PCs aren’t far behind. The triad of Dell, HP and Lenovo earns an estimated 15-20 per cent of operating profit from US sales, and with laptops more dependent on China than desktops, the risk premium is real. Higher costs will roll downhill to consumers, who...
Australia stands as a major global player in aluminium production. As per AL Circle's report, Australia continues to be the second major producer and the biggest exporting country of alumina in the world. The country is estimated to have produced around 18.25 million tonnes in 2023-24, a decrease from 18.97 million tonnes in 2022-23. According to various sources and AL Circle's forecast , Australia's alumina production for 2024-25 & 2025-26 is to attain 16.39 million tonnes (approx.) & 16.28 million tonnes (approx.), respectively. The forecast is that there will be a dip due to the production curtailment at the Kwinana refinery. As per EnergyQuest, the alumina and aluminium sectors generate more than $13 billion in export earnings each year, underpinning a total industry value that...
Regardless of the industry, an efficient and advanced logistics network is essential for seamless transportation. Recognising this, Vedanta Aluminium, India's largest aluminium producer, has developed a sophisticated logistics infrastructure that facilitated the movement of over 55 million tonnes of cargo in the financial year 2025. With operations focused primarily in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, the company's logistics network exemplifies significant scale, operational accuracy and a strong emphasis on sustainability. Vedanta Aluminium is driving one of the country's most advanced and high-capacity logistics networks, having transported over 55 million tonnes of raw materials and finished aluminium products in FY2025. To put this in perspective, Indian Railways handled...
In 2024, Constellium, a global leader in aluminium product development, manufacturing and recycling of aluminium products, joined hands with PyroGenesis, a world leader in advanced plasma process technologies, to procure state-of-the-art plasma torch technology designed to serve as efficient heating sources for aluminium remelting furnaces. As of August 11, 2025, the companies have successfully finalised the acquisition of the technology. Following the purchase, the advanced plasma torch technology will be incorporated into a demonstrator furnace at a Constellium-owned casthouse, further to explore opportunities for sustainable high-temperature industrial heating solutions. Concerning this exchange, P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis, stated, "Streamlining energy use by...
The global aluminium foil consumption rose from 5.5 million tonnes in 2018 and is estimated to cross six million tonnes in 2025. As per competitive analysis market research, the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP, China, continues to dominate the aluminium foil landscape as the world’s leading producer, consumer, and exporter. In 2024, China produced an estimated four million tonnes of aluminium foil, exporting more than 1.5 million tonnes to various international markets. Source: Huawei Aluminum In the coming years, according to various consumer trends reports , China’s aluminium foil consumption may be influenced by the ongoing slowdown in economic growth. Nevertheless, rising demand from the electric vehicle (EV) sector, particularly for use in lithium-ion battery...
Aluminium has gone from being just another metal in cars to a key player shaping the auto industry’s future. Its light weight, strength, resistance to rust, and ability to be recycled without losing its quality makes it vital for improving fuel efficiency, boosting EV range, and reducing emissions over a vehicle’s lifetime. Image for representational purpose Al Circle values the automotive aluminium market at USD 97.86 billion in 2024 and projects it will almost double to USD 205.24 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.7 per cent between 2025 and 2032. The sector’s growth is fuelled by increasing adoption of lightweight, high-performance, and sustainable materials across the automotive industry. According to other sources, the market maintained a clear upward trajectory between 2020...
Major futures contracts for the three key non-ferrous metals – aluminium, nickel, and copper – on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) had all risen from the previous week by the close of the daytime trading sessions on August 8. As of 3:00 p.m. on Friday, the most-traded SHFE nickel contract for September delivery had gained 1.2 per cent from the previous Friday to close at RMB 121,180 per tonne (USD 16,872 per tonne). Meanwhile, the most-traded aluminium and copper contracts, also for September delivery, posted smaller on-week increases of 0.9 per cent and 0.1 per cent, closing the daytime trading session on August 8 at RMB 20,685 per tonne and RMB 78,490 per tonne, respectively. Over the week, news that the US economy had weakened during July increased the likelihood that the US...
During the period from July 7 to August 6, SMM prebaked anode prices showed slight divergence but overall remained relatively stable. The benchmark procurement price for August 2025 at an aluminium plant in Shandong was RMB 4,739 per tonne, down 0.21 per cent M-o-M. According to SMM, export order prices for prebaked anode in August remained stable with minor fluctuations, with adjustments concentrated within USD 10 per tonne. As of now, SMM anode prices in east China closed at RMB 4,739-7,924 per tonne. Raw material side: Both petroleum coke and coal tar pitch markets performed moderately during this period. In the petroleum coke market, low-sulphur petroleum coke stood out notably: driven by active purchases from the anode material sector, refinery shipments maintained a favorable trend....
Summer's soaring temperatures can turn your hummingbird feeder into a spoiled trap, but a simple trick with aluminium foil might just keep that nectar fresh and safe. Summer's soaring temperatures can turn a hummingbird feeder into a spoiled trap, but a simple trick with aluminium foil might just keep that nectar fresh and safe. Known for its reflective efficiency, aluminium foil can help shield feeders from heat and sunlight, making it a practical and inexpensive safeguard during the hottest months. With ambient temperatures exceeding 90°F, the sucrose-based nectar in hummingbird feeders is prone to rapid spoilage, leading to fermentation or the development of harmful bacteria and mould that pose significant risks to avian health. Applying an aluminium foil wrap around the feeder serves...
Driven by the pursuit of greater sustainability, the global recycled aluminium industry continues to witness near-daily advancements in innovation. This momentum has now extended to the aluminium wire rod sector, with Kingdom of Bahrain-based Midal Cables, a leading manufacturer and distributor of a wide range of cables, announcing the launch of its new line of recycled aluminium rod products, branded as MiRecAL. The newly launched MiRecAL product line is available in two key variants, incorporating 15 per cent and 30 per cent recycled aluminium content. It is estimated that these recycled aluminium wire rods can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 29 per cent compared to conventional aluminium wire rod manufacturing processes, underscoring their strong sustainability efforts...
